Clamp



Invenior: Lf" @70% a;

NL N

W. F. CONKUN.

CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 2I. 1920.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 77525263805: @a M IMM W. F. CONKLIN.

CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2l, |920. 1,39%08?, Patentedsept. 6, 1921..

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modification,

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CLAMP.-

Specication of yLetters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

Application sied october 21, 1920. -sriaino;4`i`s5osi Tor all whom; it may concern:

Be it known that'I, WILLIAM F. CoNKLIN, a citizeny of the United States, residing at Tarentumf in the county of Allegheny and State of -ennsylvanizu have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of an improvement in clamping devices for ropes, cables, etc. It has for its object to provide means for quickly and positively clamping and liXedly holding' a ieXible cord, rope, cable, or the like, or any insertible flexible element, between the bearing faces of a socket and a relatively adjustable binding wedge member. it operates on the principle of clamping a flexible clement of the kind noted by forming a kink or undulation therein, and utilizes either one or more adjustable clamping devices, in combination with the bearing faces of a suitable frame, so arranged as to efi'ect the bending ofthe element to be held.

In the drawings, i have illustrated various forms ofthe invention, but it will be readily understood that the invention may be utilized in other shapes or arrangements, or in connection with various forms of holding frames, and in various applications. In certain preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrated in the drawings,

Figure l is a view of a clamping apparatus in front elevation, partly broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line lI-II of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view on the line Ill-HI of F ig.- l;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. l showing the cla-mp in operative position at one side, with a flexible element held thereby;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line V--V of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a view in sectional elevation showing a modified construction of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing a further utilizing a single adjustable wedging or clamping element, the section being taken' on the line Vil- VII of Fi 8; and Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view on the line VIH-VIH of Fig. 7.

Referring to the principal figures of the drawings, I provide a mainv frame or body portion 2 having aty its rear side one or more attaching flanges 3 adapted to be secured against a wall or other plane surface by screws, as shown. At each side of the middle of thel frame,` are provided wedgeJ shaped receiving sockets ie-4'V formed in the frame?, the central portions of whichy converge inwardly, providing V-shaped receiving grooves or sockets 5, whichy in cases where insulation is desired, are faced with liners 6 of suitable insulating" material. In such construction, the main Vframe 2f formsl the inner side of the groove and an outer front plate-7 is secured thereon by screws or bolts in themanner shown, andywith an inner corresponding sloping wall" forming, with`l` the base of the frame, the` continuousl V- shaped groove' 5, as willj be` readilyV understood.'`

riheinner cavities, as thus formed, provide for the insertion of the clamping or binding wedge members 8 between the frame and plate 7 ateach side oi: they metal, as in alinement with the series of il-shapedj grooves which, together with the interven-` ing wedge membersS", form the alternating or tortuous path for the flexible member to be clamped.

The outer terminalsof the outside grooves and the intervening apex of the middle grooved pathway are rounded, as indicated at 9, providingfor a curved bend of the ilexible member A, as indicated in Fig. 4f.

TheA clamping members 8 are provided with binding edge terminals 10 which, as shown in Fig. 8l, are the edge portions of insulating material extending across midwayof each member and clamped between the front 1l. and7 back l2 thereof by securing screws or bolts 13, as shown. By this construction, l? not only provide for complete insulation when desirable, but also for comparatively narrow binding edge projections adapted to engage directly against the flexible member A, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Each clamping member. 8 is provided at its central terminal with a binding groove v14 of V-shape in cross section, and in` longitudinal alinement with the receiving grooves of the holding base member, adapted to positively engage and depress the flexible member within the socket 4 at one side or the other, when either clamp member is actuated. Each of said members is connected by an attaching wing f5 t'o a holding. bolt 16 which itl is in slotted engagement', las at, 17,y with the yoke 18.r Said yoke is pivotedl by stud 19 at its' middle yto the vsupporting post 20, which is mounted for vertical adjustment in the frame.

A Spanner 21 bearsl upon the upper edge portion of yoke 18 and is subject to the constant pressure of a spring 22, seated in the member 21 and in an upper receiving terminal 23 of post 20, through which i' a squared stem 24 of member 21v extends for guidance, and prevention of lateral turning, ask clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. lThe object of suchconstruction is to equalize the pressure onyoke 18 when the partsV are `released, so as to normally hold the yoke and its parts level.

Post 2O is provided with a threaded extension 25 in threaded engagement with a gear 26having a bearing at each end in the main frameand a bracket 27 thereof respectively, as shown. An intermeshing gear 28 mounted by itsstem 29 in a depending bearing 30 of the front plate 7 is provided with an operating crank 31 for raising or lowering postV 2O by the gearing shown. Lugs- 82 extend outwardly from yoke 18 at each side of wing 15 with sufficient clearance to provide for a limited shiftingmovement while maintaining theclamping member 8 in approximate operative position.

.As shown in Fig. 4, the flexible member A `is placed through. the receiving grooves and passageways between the bearing surfaces of the frame and the clamping members, and, when the clamping members are sufficiently far from the coacting bearing faces of the frame, the flexible member may be drawn without any effort. When the clamping members,y however, are sufficiently adjusted, tension on flexible member A in one direction or another will, by binding upon the fork 14' of one of the clamping members, thrust it upwardly at one side, effecting a corresponding downward thrust of the other member, so as to lixedly clamp and positively hold the flexible member against further movement. Likewise, upon reversal of the tension in the opposite direction, the other member willA be thrust upwardly and its companion member downwardly, clamping the flexible member in the same manner.

The adjustment of the mounting of the pivoted yoke 18 provides for the insertion and gripping action of the cables, etc., of varying diameter, and it will be'readily observed that, by the gearing shown, the device is capable of very accurate setting.

Y In Fig. 6, I show a modified construction in which the clamping members 8a are pivotally connected by their wings 15a-with the` supporti-ng studs 16a and slotted .terminals 1l'a to the yoke arm or lever bar 18an Said frame is pivoted, as by stud 19, to any suitable support, as a post 20a, extending upwardly from the rear of the main frame 2a, and is also provided with one or more terminal'handles 82a. Each clamping member 8a in this construction is provided with terminal grooved rollers 14a carried by pivvthe rounded portions 9, whereby to provide Vthe alternating pathway for the flexible meniber, as a rope or cable A..

Hollow terminal extensions 33a extend from oneor both ends ofthe main frame 2a, as shown, through which the flexible member A is passed. In this construction, the invention iscapable of being used in various different ways, as for instance, in lowering a weight by gradually supplying the necessary tension and resulting friction to the cable. Thus, the frame 2 may be provided with a snap hook or other Ysuitable connection so as to be attached to the belt of a person. ln such case, assuming one end of the cable A is attached to an upper support, he may use the device to lower himself to the ground, controlling the speed of descent by applying suitable pressure by grasping the hollow terminal 33a and lever terminal 32a and pressing them together. Various other utilizationsof the invention may be also made by applying it to the particular use in View. ,Y

In Figs. 7 and 8, l show a further modification in which a single clampingmember 8b is used, of generally similar construction to that already described, having lateral edge projecting portions 10b and a middle forked terminal 14h, coacting with a receiving V- shaped recess 4l of a frame 2b. In such construction the clamping member 8b is made integral with or lixedly connected to a post 2Ob mounted for vertical adjustment in the frame bymeans of gears 26b and 28h, the latter of which is mounted in bearings 301Kby stem 29b and is provided with a terminal 31b for attachment of an operating crank.

ln such construction, the clamping action is effected by positively adjusting member 8" within.the'V-shaped passageway or recess for the flexible member, which is positively clamped therein by adjustment of the clamping Vmember by the gearing to any 4desired pressure.

In either form of the invention, the holding action on the flexible member is effected through the abrupt kink or bending of the cable, rope, or the like, in an undulating passage so as to positively hold it against movement. Thus, the flexible member, if approximately cylindrical, is engaged at two points by the V groove of the frame and at proportions, or designs, to suit various conditions of use by the skilled mechanic, but all such changes are to be considered as within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is: v

1. A clamping de-vice for flexible members comprising a body member having a concaved passageway therein through which the flexible member may be passed in a direction longitudinally of the body, and a relatively adjustable clamping member movable transversely of the body adapted to be forced into the concaved passageway to engage the flexible member.

2. A clamping device for exible members comprising a body member, a V-shaped recess forming a passageway through which a flexible member is adapted to be passed,

a relatively adjustable clamping ,memberl movable transversely to the passageway and adapted to be forced into the V-shaped recess to engage the flexible member to force it into clamping relation with the sides of the recess.

3. A clamping device for flexible members comprising a body member having a concaved passageway therein through which the flexible member may be passed in a. direction longitudinally of the body, a relatively adjustable member movable transversely of the body and adapted to be forced into the concaved passageway to engage the flexible member, and gearing for effecting such transverse movement of the adjustable clamping member.

4. A clamping device for flexible members comprising a body having an undulating passageway therein through which a flexible member may be passed, movable clamping members co-acting with the undulating portions of the body, and means connecting the movable clamping members in such manner that said members may be moved in unison. 5. A clamping device for flexible members comprising a body having an undulating passageway therein through which a flexible member may be passed, movable clamping members co-acting with the undulating portions of the body, and means connecting the movable clamping members in such manner that a tendency of the flexible member to move one member in one direction will force another member in an opposite direction.

6. A clamping device for flexible members comprising a body having an undulating passageway therein through which 'a flexible member may be passed, movable clamping members co-acting with the undulating portions ofthe body, means connecting the movable clamping members in such manner that movement of one member in one direction will move another member in an opposite direction, and means for moving the movable clamping members out of clamping relation with the flexible member.'

7. A clamping device for flexible membersl comprising a body having an undulating passageway therein through which a flexible member may be passed, movable clamping members co-acting with the undulating por` tions of the body, a lever pivoted between its ends and having one of said movable clamping members connected thereto at each side of its pivot point.

8. A clamping device for flexible members comprising a body having an undulating passageway therein through which a flexible member may be passed, movable clamping members co-acting with the undulating portions of the body, a lever pivoted between its ends and having one of said movable clamping members connected thereto at each side of its Pivot point, and means for moving said lever relatively to the body to move said clamping members into or out of the undulating passageway.

9. A clamping device for flexible members comprising a body having an undulating passageway therein through which a flexible member may be passed, movable clamping members co-acting with the undulating portions of the body, a lever pivoted between its Vends and having one of said movable clamping members connected thereto at each side of its pivot, means for moving said lever relatively to the body member to move said clamping members into or out of the undulating passageway, and a spring for normally holding the lever in such position as to maintain the adjustable clamping members in the same position relatively to each other.

10. Clamping mechanism for a flexible member comprisingV a body having a V- shaped passageway, a relatively adjustable clamping member carried on the body and movable transversely of the passageway and adapted to be forced thereinto, said clamping member being wedge-shaped and being provided with a grooved end portion and edge portions projecting beyond the sides of the wedge-shaped member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

wrLLiAM r. coNKLiN. 

